Control and guest&#39;s pay-check for hotels, restaurants, &amp;c.



men STATES FFICE,

CONTROL AND GUESTS PAY-CHECK FOR HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, 8L6.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 719,209, dated January27, 1903.

Application filed December 13,1901. Serial No. 85.822. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LMIGHAEL GELLI'JR,a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Control andGuests Pay-Check for Hotels, Restaurants, dad, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to devices for controlling and checking the serviceto guests in hotels and other similar institutions; and the purpose ofthe invention is to produce a simple self-contained check so arrangedthat all errors in charges or receipts and peculations can beautomatically, quickly, and infallibly detected and located.

Theinvention consists in the novel arrangement and combinations of theparts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in theclaim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part ofthis specification, in which is shown a plan view of the improved check.

The check consists of a card A of suitable dimensions, preferably madeof paper and provided with a column B, in which the names of thearticles ordered and served are ontered, and duplicate account-columns Oand D, in which latter columns the prices of the articles are duplicatedin opposing spaces 10 in dollars and cents. These duplicateaccount-columns C and D are separated by a score-line 11, which iscarried from edge to edge of the card, forming whatl term acontrol-strip E. In the body portion of the card each account-card isprovided with an accompanying space 12, in which the totals of theamounts appearing in the account-columns are entered.

Preferably at one end of the control-strip E a stub F is located, butdivided from the body by a transverse score-line 13, so that thisportion of the check, which constitutes the checkers stub, can beseparated from the control-strip along the score-lines 11 and 13. Thischeckers stub F appears in the controlstrip at the lower corner of thecheck, although its position relative to the body of the check may bechanged, and the stub is usually divided into two sections 14 and 15,the upper section bearing the word Waiter and the number of the Waiterand check-numher, while the lower section 15 is intended to have thecheckers number produced thereon by the checker when the card ispresented to him and he places in the account-columns O and D thecharges for the first article upon the check. This section usually bearsthe inscription Checkers No. The score-line 13 is met by a secondtransverse score-line 13, which extends from the line 13 to the oppositeend of the card, producing alone stub F, preferably divided intosections 16 17 18 19. The section 16 has the word Waiter and the numberof the waiter produced thereon. The section 17 is provided with thewords Check No. and numeral indicating the number of the check, whilethe section 18 bears the phrase Amount received. On this section theamount of money is entered when received from the waiter, which amountcorresponds to the amount expressed in the totalspaces 12, and thesection 19 may be used to locate a trade mark or instructions or may beomitted. The stub F is intended as a waiters receipt for the money paidto the cashier by the waiter at the time of the settlement of theaccount, as will be hereinafter more particularly described. At theopposite end of the body of the check panels 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 areshown. The panels 20 and 21 are a portion of the control-strip E, andthe panel 20 bears the number of the check and the panel 21 the numberof the waiter. The other panels just mentioned form a portion of thebody of the check. The panel 22 bears the check-numher and the panel 23the number of the waiter. The panel 25 may be used to receive thecheckers number or for any purpose desired, and the panel 24 is usuallyemployed to indicate the number of the table. The panel 26 may be usedto indicate deductions, if any,and the panel 27 is usually a blankpanel; but the number of the panels connected with the body of the checkmay be changed or their location varied, as likewise the matter producedin the panels, and I desire it to be understood that the account-columnsG and D,which are shown at the right of the column in which the names ofthe articles served are written, may be placed at the left-hand side ofthe check or at either end thereof, asmay be found most convenient ormost desirable.

In the use of thecheck when the waiter receives his first order from aguest the name of the article is written in the column B, and the waiterin filling the first portion of the order calls at the desk of thechecker for that department, who stamps or otherwise produces the amountrepresenting the cost of the arti cle in both of the columns O and Dopposite the name of the article ordered. Thus the amount appears induplicate, one amount upon the body of the check and the other upon thecontrol-strip. After the checker has thus placed the cost of the articlein the accountcolumns 0 and D the checker writes, prints, or otherwiseproduces his or her number upon section 15 of the checkers stub F anddetaches the stub from the check, retaining it until the return of thecontrol-strip. The waiter now proceeds to fill other orders from thesame guest, and the checkers of the various departments as the ordersare filled in sert the cost of the various articles in theaccount-columns C and D; but subsequent checkers are not identified withthe particular waiters check or number or otherwise, the checker of theleading article being the only person responsible for the check to theend of its service.

After all the articles ordered have been served the waiter presents thecheck to the cashier, who adds up the amounts in the account-columns Oand D and writes or prints the totals in the spaces 12. The waiter willnow return to the guest and collect the amount of the bill and presentit and the money to the cashier; but the waiter will detach thecontrol-strip E, keeping the same. This control-strip may be removed bythe waiter at any time after the totals have been Written in the check.The cashier after receiving the amount of the bill Writes or prints theamount in the receipt-section 18 of the stub F and detaches the samefrom the body of the check, which stub is handed to the Waiter and ishis receipt for the money turned in. Finally the waiter returns to thedesk first visited and presents the control-strip E, re-

ceiving in turn the checkers stub F, that was first removed from thecheck. The controlstrip is kept by the checker, and the body of thecheck is retained by the cashier, and in proving accounts acontrol-strip should be found for each check bearing a correspondingtotal amount. If the control strip is not forthcoming and the waiter isquestioned, the checkers stub which he received will indicate which ofthe checkers is responsible for the control strip or slip, and should aquestion arise as to whether or not the full amount of the bill waspresented to the cashier the waiters receipt, if forthcoming, woulddecide the matter. It is evident that the controlstrip is a check on thechecker, as the amounts in the column 0 of the body of the check mustagree with the amounts in the column of the control-strip if everythingis straight.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- A check for use in hotels, restaurants and similarestablishments, consisting of a sheet provided with a main column Badapted to contain the names of articles, and duplicate and adjoiningcolumns 0 and D separated one from the other by a weakened longitudinalline, which columns G and D are adapted to contain amounts in duplicate,the said sheet being also provided below the column D with a checkersstub F in vertical alinement with the column D and defined by an outermargin of the sheet and by weakened lines, the sheet being furtherprovided with panels 20 and 21 above the column D,the weakened lineseparating the columns 0 and D forming the inner side lines of the saidpanels, which panels 20 and 21 contain respectively a checknnmber and awaiters number, and duplicates of the panels 20 and 21 located above andbelow the column 0, all arranged for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL GELLER.

\Vitnesses:

BENJAMIN LEERBURGTS, ABRAM STYsE.

